VIENNA - Six world powers (click title to entry - thank you) called on Iran on Thursday to let international inspectors visit a military site where the UN nuclear watchdog says development work relevant to nuclear weapons may have taken place.
In a joint statement at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the powers also voiced "regret" about Iran's stepped-up campaign to enrich uranium - activity which can have both civilian and military purposes....
However, what happens next?
Do the world's militaries respond? China? Russia? France? Great Britain? The USA? with nuclear strikes of their own. I suppose that is a scenario, but, it isn't likely and Iran needs to consider that. The most likely scenario immediately is the world will wonder if the 200 dead were necessary at all. Israel will fall into suspicion of engaging a war that was unnecessary and again will be 'the bad guy' to millions of Muslims around the globe. That, in turn, will result in more and more hatred of The West and more suspicion of Asia as to their priorities for nations such as Indonesia and its Muslim majority.
In a day or two after the strikes by Israel there will be retaliation by the Shi'ites of Iran in alliance with Iraq giving permission for Iranian forces to roll across the deserts to launch attacks on Israel. Iranian war ships prepared for strikes on Israel from sea will confront USA Naval strength and we will be off to the races, still once again in the Middle East.
Israel reflects on the Six Day War as it prepares to defend the nation and accepts those scenarios as a realistic outcome. But, then it is only six days and Israel will be safe and Iran will be thwarted for now.
The 'for now' is the real danger, because, following strikes against Iran will the Shi'ites sincerely be in danger of a genocidal world with the ability to yield such horrific violence against another country of minorities in the world. See, Iran and Israel are very much a like. They both are sovereign nations to minority ethnicities. So, following a strike by Israel what then will be Iran's response? The real response might be to do nothing. It was a gamble all along anyway and it was brinkmanship that was to happen or not with a 50/50 outcome. The Iranians know that.
They have sustained the blows of it's populous against it's leadership due to sanctions. Iran has cried, "Poor, me;" for a long time due to sanctions and its supposed innocence to all of Israel's complaining. But, Iran has also brought its own disadvantage, because, it will not allow transparency to what it coins as the peaceful use of nuclear technology.
The facts of the matter is the global community has failed itself, regardless of the outcomes of another six day war. The real problem is the lack of enforcement of Non-Proliferation in the manner it was intended and that is to reduce the nuclear footprint globally.
We have seen the worst of the science. We have witnessed all too clearly the destruction and death of weapons of nuclear technology. The latest venture into the extremes of Earth's own forces have imperiled the lives in Japan with the overwhelming catastrophe following a tsunami. As if the tsunami wasn't enough, the backup systems to a series of reactors failed nearly immediately and still today the Japanese are suffering again at the hand of atomic radiation.
Iran creates a great many questions for the global community to answer. It is a sensitive ethnic populous with the need to feel secure. The past indiscretions of a decade long 'abuse of power president' has placed a higher priority on nuclear proliferation than non-proliferation. George Walker Bush believes, along with his party, that once a technology is unveiled and is the most powerful answer to national security, it is inevitable that is the ONLY answer to any nation.
The USA is sadly a nation unable to broker peace so much as instill the impetus of war. The USA no longer provides an example to the world of what is possible so much as what is not possible when it comes to a sustaining peace. The brink Israel has brought itself is all too familiar as an outcome of the discourse of years of attempts to end a stalemate about Iran's nuclear programs. Do we conclude a global stability of power is impossible and the only resolve to any struggle is death of citizens at the hands of leaders unable to reconcile their priorities?
If Iran and Israel teaches us a lesson at this point in their histories, it is the world is indeed an uncivilized place when the leadership entrusted with the lives of so many see no path forward, except, death of others.
